“Kexin, who did you say?” Elena questioned again, her shock mirroring her brother Laurent’s.
“What’s with you two?” Kexin asked weakly, now completely baffled.
Laurent and his sister exchanged a look, as if silently agreeing: You ask.
Elena nodded knowingly, pausing slightly to gather her thoughts.
“Kexin, are you talking about the two children we saw at your place last time? We need to confirm this first. Don't be so surprised if it turns out to be a mistake after all this fuss!”
Kexin nodded dumbly, then added, “Yes, those two. The little boy is Zhong Shenxiu, and the little girl is Robin. They registered for school yesterday; today is their first day of class. Are you two well acquainted with them?”
“N-no way!” Laurent exclaimed, unable to contain himself.
He simply could not accept this reality. How could two such formidable individuals suddenly decide to attend school? If he possessed that level of power, he would certainly be adventuring across the globe!
What truly stunned him, however, was the realization that if Kexin was correct, they had absolutely no hope of winning the “Academy Ranking Tournament” this year. He could only pray they wouldn't encounter those two freaks during the competition!
He could already vividly picture the scene of being utterly dominated by Zhong Shenxiu and Robin during the “Academy Ranking Tournament.” And this would be legitimate; not only would others refrain from intervening, they might even cheer!
“W-what? Is something wrong?” Kexin grew increasingly confused.
Neither Elena nor Laurent answered. But their expressions were strikingly similar, as if silently lamenting: Heavens above, what in the world is happening?
“Kexin,” Elena’s expression suddenly turned serious, “from now on, you must never provoke those two children. If possible, it’s best to steer clear of them!”
“Why?” Kexin felt utterly lost.
Elena hesitated for a moment, but finally decided she had to tell Kexin some things. This matter was too grave; if Kexin accidentally offended those two, regret would come too late!
After hearing Elena’s recounting, Kexin was truly stunned. She hadn't expected those two children to be so terrifyingly powerful, nor did she imagine they had already clashed with Laurent and the others!
Meanwhile, Zhong Shenxiu, having discovered the “Black Dou Qi,” once again became lost in his research.
To his absolute delight, this “Black Dou Qi” integrated seamlessly into the bone structure of the Skeleton Rooster.
If the previous issue was incompatibility, then this new “Black Dou Qi,” having completed its transformation into a new format, had completely resolved the mismatch problem.
This truly affirmed the old saying: You plant flowers with intent and they wither; you plant willows without intention and they blossom!
However, a new question immediately presented itself: How exactly was this “Black Dou Qi” generated? To find the answer, Zhong Shenxiu had to reapply the exact same method he had just used. Finally, he pinpointed the source.
It was the reaction resulting from the combination of “Dark Sorcery,” “Buddha’s Light Power,” and Dou Qi!
New energies combining to yield yet more novel energies—for a genius like Zhong Shenxiu, this was an exhilarating development!
Truly, research knows no end; a brand new door had opened for him!
Now that the cause was understood, it was time for the exciting part: expanding the influence of this “Black Dou Qi”!
After a flurry of activity, Zhong Shenxiu finally stood back. Looking at the Skeleton Rooster completely enveloped in black Dou Qi, he let out a triumphant smile.
Now was the time to test the capabilities of this Black Dou Qi. He initiated tests on the Skeleton Rooster’s various metrics, and the results left him highly satisfied. Speed, stamina, strength, adaptability—all met his anticipated requirements!
Furthermore, this “Black Dou Qi” possessed an incredibly potent unique attribute: it could materialize Dou Qi!
What did this mean? A simple analogy would clarify just how extraordinary it was!
This Skeleton Rooster could transmute the “Black Dou Qi” into various shapes that possessed tangible effects. For instance, it could transform it into a blade or any weapon form. Its physical attacks were not illusory but concrete.
With this special attribute, the Skeleton Rooster could even conjure a pair of black wings, making flight incredibly simple!
This attribute was so formidable that even the worldly-wise Zhong Shenxiu felt a surge of excitement.
They say even grass and wood can be forged into weapons, but now, it was far less cumbersome. With this technique of turning the ethereal into the real, any weapon desired could be condensed through sheer intent, ready for use anytime—absolutely convenient!
Fully aware of its value, Zhong Shenxiu intentionally spent time mastering the “Black Dou Qi”! He extended a hand, and instantly, a pure black long saber materialized in his grasp.
Zhong Shenxiu meticulously examined the saber fashioned from “Black Dou Qi,” testing its density and hardness!
Although this saber could not rival weapons forged with “Samadhi True Fire,” it possessed the ability to cut through iron like mud, matching the quality of weapons crafted by the grandmasters of this world.
However, Zhong Shenxiu immediately noticed a drawback: it was impossible to infuse it with internal energies like True Qi. Of course, this was temporary; given Zhong Shenxiu’s intellect and skill, there was every reason to believe he would solve this hurdle!
With a shift in thought, the saber in his hand dissolved. Zhong Shenxiu then refocused his attention on the Skeleton Rooster.
While the “Black Dou Qi” was incredibly powerful, Zhong Shenxiu faced another problem: the Skeleton Roosters could not generate “Black Dou Qi” on their own; he had to infuse it manually.
Moreover, as it was used, the infused “Black Dou Qi” would be entirely depleted!
This was somewhat troublesome; Zhong Shenxiu wasn't keen on constantly replenishing their supply. Was there a way for them to generate “Black Dou Qi” autonomously?
Methods are always devised by those who seek them. Combining this with the formation principle of the “Black Dou Qi,” Zhong Shenxiu finally conceived a solution:
He would install a formation within the Skeleton Rooster’s body, similar to the “Moon Sucking Great Technique,” initially set to activate automatically upon contact with any Dou Qi.
In addition, he would incorporate two auxiliary formations specifically designed to synthesize the “Black Dou Qi”!
The principle of this method was: absorb the external Dou Qi—which the Skeleton Rooster couldn't produce—and then react it with the “Dark Sorcery/Buddha’s Light Power,” which the Rooster could produce, thereby synthesizing the “Black Dou Qi”!
It was akin to the concept of “Sucking the Power of Others and Making It One’s Own”!
Despite the limitations and the current complexity, it was an excellent solution, at least until he discovered an alternative energy reaction medium to replace Dou Qi!
Research into light-aligned magic could perhaps be paused for the moment. This period of investigation had yielded rich rewards for Zhong Shenxiu, only deepening his fascination with magic!
Zhong Shenxiu now harbored a question: If Dark Magic is linked to Sorcery, and Light Magic is connected to Buddhist supreme arts, might other schools of magic be linked to disciplines such as Demonic Arts or Daoist techniques?
Meanwhile, Angelia, separated from Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.
She had never been so preoccupied in her life. In the span of a single day, she had contemplated countless things, including performing a rational analysis of Zhong Shenxiu as a person.
During their time together, she had learned a fair amount about him. Though Zhong Shenxiu enjoyed playing tricks, he wasn't inherently wicked, and he had faithfully kept his promise to teach her many useful skills!
Furthermore, Angelia sensed something—a feeling she could only attribute to a woman’s innate sixth sense—that Zhong Shenxiu possessed a sharp tongue but a soft heart. This idea felt strange, even to her, yet when she witnessed the profound care he showed Robin, this thought became strikingly clear.
Since Robin had previously lived alone with her for a period, Angelia understood the master-servant dynamic between Robin and Zhong Shenxiu to some extent.
Angelia could vaguely surmise the reasons behind Robin recognizing Zhong Shenxiu as her master.
When a person’s existence is defined only by pain, and life itself is merely torment, they are perpetually near death.
If, at such a moment, heaven grants her someone who genuinely cares, allowing her to experience the warmth of living, that person might become her entire world!
Many things in the world defy logic; often, a single glance can bind a lifetime of devotion!
To be honest, Angelia sometimes envied Robin—not only for her formidable strength but also for how well Zhong Shenxiu treated her. If only she could possess a tenth of that!
Speaking of which, Angelia felt a pang of bitterness. She hadn't expected Zhong Shenxiu to “chase” her out, especially just as her cultivation was showing promising results!
She had spent the majority of the day pondering this very issue, considering whether she ought to spend her money to rent a room in Zhong Shenxiu’s small courtyard again.
After much deliberation, she felt she must seize this opportunity. Even knowing it might cost a significant sum, that expense seemed negligible compared to the advancement of her strength!
This was an opportunity. To miss it might mean forfeiting the “Path to Power”!
The sky was already beginning to dim, dotted with nascent stars.
Fearing delay might bring complications, Angelia hastily gathered her meager savings and headed towards the small courtyard.
She could never have imagined the sight awaiting her upon arrival, a scene that would leave her utterly shocked!